CN110087936B

CN110087936B - Connecting element and connecting device for electrically connecting a cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN110087936B
Application number: CN201780078479.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·陶里艾南; J·奥特; B·苏耶夫
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 2016-12-20
Filing date: 2017-10-26
Publication date: 2022-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-26
Also published as: US20190305466A1; US10899241B2; CN110087936A; DE102016225527A1; WO2018114098A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a connecting element (1) and a connecting device for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle. The connecting element (1) has a housing (2) in which at least two electrical contacts (4, 5) are at least partially accommodated and which has a passage (7) which extends from a first opening (6) of the housing (2) through the housing to a second opening (10) of the housing (2) and through which a coolant (8) can flow. In order to be able to achieve an electrical connection that meets high requirements, it is provided that the electrical contacts (4, 5) are thermally coupled to the passages (7) for active cooling by means of a coolant (8).

Description

Connecting element and connecting device for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle

Technical Field

The invention relates to a connecting element and a connecting device for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle. The connecting element comprises a housing and at least two electrical contacts, which are at least partially accommodated in the housing. The housing has a passage or channel which extends from a first opening of the housing through the housing to a second opening of the housing and through which a coolant can flow.

Background

EP1870288B1 discloses a cable harness for a motor vehicle, which has a plug for connecting an electrical device installed in the motor vehicle. A hose extends through the plug and the cable harness, through which hose the electrical device can be connected to a cooling device of the motor vehicle. The hose is provided with a thermal insulation sheath made of a thermal insulation material, so that it is possible to prevent the air which is led through the hose for cooling the electrical device from having been heated in the path of the cooling device.

DE10323170A1 describes a plug with a surrounding plug housing and an at least partially integrated electronic circuit and a cooling device integrated for the electronic circuit. The cooling device can be integrated into the plug housing, wherein the plug housing can be embodied in such a way that it forms a cooling body.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a possibility for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device, which satisfies higher requirements than conventional electrical connections of this type.

According to the invention, the object is achieved by a connecting element for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle, having a housing, in which at least two electrical contacts are accommodated at least in sections and which has a feed-through which extends from a first opening of the housing through the housing to a second opening of the housing and through which a coolant can flow, characterized in that the electrical contacts are thermally coupled to the feed-through for active cooling by means of the coolant, the feed-through being configured in the housing so as to branch into a plurality of channels, which in turn merge into the housing.

The connecting element according to the invention for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle comprises a housing in which at least two electrical contacts are at least partially accommodated. The housing has a through-opening which extends from a first opening of the housing through to a second opening of the housing and through which a coolant can flow. In order to be able to achieve an electrical connection that meets particularly high requirements, it is provided according to the invention that the electrical contacts of the connecting element are thermally coupled to the passages for active cooling by means of a coolant. In other words, the connecting element is traversed by a cavity or channel through which a coolant can flow, flow or be conveyed in order to cool the electrical contacts and thus the connecting element. The coolant therefore conducts away the heat occurring in particular at the electrical contacts and is therefore transported away entirely from the region of the electrical contacts and finally also from the connecting element.

For the sake of clarity and intuition, without restricting generality next, said first opening should be understood as an inlet or inflow opening for the coolant and the second opening of the housing should be understood as an outlet or outflow opening for the coolant, respectively. It is thereby not excluded that the connecting element, in particular the housing, may also have one or more further openings. In particular, the housing can have one or more further inflow openings and/or one or more outflow openings for the coolant.

The thermal coupling of the electrical contacts or the coupling of the electrical contacts to the passages can be understood and designed in the sense of the present invention such that, when the coolant flows through the passages, a large part of the heat generated by the defined electrical operation of the connecting elements or contacts can be dissipated by means of the coolant. For this purpose, the feedthroughs can extend or be provided, for example, alongside one or all of the electrical contacts. In particular, the passages can be arranged in the immediate vicinity or directly adjacent to one, more or all electrical contacts of the connecting element. Furthermore, a heat-conducting element can be arranged between the respective one of the electrical contacts and the feedthrough or the feedthrough interior volume, in order to be able to conduct heat from the respective electrical contact to the feedthrough, in particular to the coolant, particularly effectively and efficiently. The heat-conducting element can be an additional component of the housing or a defined, correspondingly designed partial region. In particular, the heat-conducting element or the heat-conducting region can also form or form a wall of the through-opening. However, it is also possible for the housing to be made completely or partially of a thermally conductive material, i.e. a material which conducts heat particularly well, so that the region of the housing part which is not arranged directly between the respective electrical contact and the feedthrough can also contribute to the cooling of the electrical contact. For example, a plastic or metal material (e.g., aluminum or copper) having a higher average thermal conductivity than plastic may be used as the thermally conductive material.

The connecting element may be, for example, a plug or a part of a plug. It is also possible and/or provided that the connecting element is designed or designed for a pin-socket or a midplane-socket connection or contact-making or for producing such a connection or contact-making. The connecting element can thus be designed as part of such a connection or contact. The connecting element can, for example, also be designed to electrically connect the cable to the electrical device in the form of a screw contact or an end contact or the like. In this way, particularly simple handling of the cable and of the coolant line connected to the first opening can be advantageously achieved if the connecting element is designed for use as or in a plug connection. If the connecting element is used to establish a threaded connection, it may for example comprise a thread and/or a clip or the like. The configuration of the connecting element for production or for use in a threaded connection can be particularly advantageous here, since a particularly reliable and particularly well protected connection of the cable to the device against unintentional or accidental loosening can thus be produced. This is particularly advantageous, because the escape of coolant, which may lead to damage of surrounding components, can be avoided particularly reliably.

The possibility of actively cooling the connecting elements and the electrical contacts proposed by the invention is particularly advantageous, in particular, due to the ever increasing voltage and amperage currently used in automotive electrical systems. The current-carrying capacity of the electrical contact can be advantageously increased by the active cooling, since a lower temperature of the electrical contact during operation can be achieved by the active cooling, which leads to a lower electrical resistance. Additionally or alternatively, the active cooling advantageously also makes it possible to reduce the size, in particular the cross section, of the electrical contacts for the same effective power or current carrying capacity. In this way, for example, more electrical contacts can be accommodated in the connecting element without changing the size or the installation space requirements. In addition or alternatively, the connecting element itself can also be made smaller if necessary.

Overall, therefore, by actively cooling the electrical contacts or by the connecting element according to the invention, it is possible to meet high requirements with regard to current-carrying capacity or transmittable electrical power and/or to the structural dimensions or structural space or packaging. This is particularly advantageous at present, since the complexity of the motor vehicle is further increased due to the plurality of components and systems, and the installation space plays a decisive role in the design of new systems. Furthermore, it is advantageous if necessary to save resources (for example copper for the electrical contacts) and if necessary corresponding costs.

A further advantage of the connection element according to the invention is that the coolant can be supplied directly to the electrical device via the second opening or the outlet opening after it has flowed through the connection element. A particularly simple and cost-effective series cooling circuit can thus be realized. In other words, a branch can be provided in a simple manner from a cooling circuit, which is present for example for cooling the device, through which branch the connecting element is supplied with coolant. Thereby, advantageously no additional complete or separate cooling circuit for the connecting elements is required.

For example, known liquid media (e.g. water or oil) can be used as coolant, wherein, in principle, gaseous coolants or cooling media can also be used. In this case, the coolant can be selected in individual cases according to the respective thermal requirements.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least one of the electrical contacts is directly connected to the interior volume of the feedthrough through which a flow can be conducted and can thus be flushed directly by the coolant. The term "passage" may therefore also be referred to as a free volume or a volume through which coolant can flow or flow and does not necessarily include a wall or a restriction of the wall or volume. The thermal coupling is thus effected here by direct contact or direct association of the at least one electrical contact with the interior volume or the interior region. Thus, at least a partial region of the respective electrical contact is brought into direct contact with the coolant or flushed around by the coolant by direct flushing. As a result, heat can advantageously be transferred particularly effectively and efficiently and quickly from the direct-current electrical contacts to the coolant. In the case of direct flushing of one, more or all electrical contacts, an electrically insulating or non-conductive coolant (e.g. oil) may be used.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the feed-through is configured in the housing so as to branch into a plurality of channels, which in turn merge into one another in the housing. In other words, the through-opening can be divided after it starts at the first opening in the housing, so that the coolant passes or flows through the housing on a plurality of different paths. The outer structure or the connection arrangement of the connecting element can advantageously be maintained particularly simply by the merging or normalization of the plurality of different channels or flow paths still provided in the housing. In other words, for example, a single outflow opening can thereby be sufficient to allow the entire coolant flow through the connecting element to escape through said outflow opening. The respective requirements and complexity of the coolant supply, for example on the part of the device, can thus be kept as low as possible. It is of course also possible to provide a plurality of outlets for the coolant on the connecting element. Here, each of the discharge openings may be supplied to any number of the plurality of passages. In particular, only some or a subset of the plurality of channels may merge within the housing, while one or more further channels converge in another merger, or may also extend separately to another discharge opening.

The individual channels into which the feed-through branches can have the same size and structure, so that uniform cooling can be achieved. However, it can also be provided that one or more of the channels have different sizes, shapes or cross sections, so that a targeted distribution of the available refrigeration power can be achieved. For example, the size, shape, cross-section and/or orientation of the respective channels may be dimensioned or designed according to the size and/or the expected heat generation of the electrical contacts that are (at least mainly) cooled on the respective channels, respectively. Depending on the specific arrangement of the electrical contacts, it is also possible to provide a plurality of branching points or branching points of the feedthroughs, at which one or more channels branch off, respectively. This advantageously makes it possible to adapt the feed-through and/or the coolant guide optimally to the respective arrangement of the electrical contacts. By the branching of the feedthroughs, the surface available for cooling or for heat exchange between the connecting element or the electrical contact on the one hand and the coolant on the other hand can advantageously be increased, so that cooling or the effective cooling capacity can be improved.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least one channel of the plurality of channels extends between two respective electrical contacts of the connecting element arranged next to one another. Particularly effective and efficient cooling or heat dissipation can thereby advantageously be achieved.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the first opening of the housing is designed as an interface for the coolant line and is arranged at a distance from the housing-side interface point for the cable, so that the connecting element makes it possible to connect the coolant line and the cable to the connecting element independently. In other words, the coolant line and the cable can thus be guided to the connecting element on different paths. This advantageously allows for particularly great flexibility and versatile replaceability of the connecting elements. Furthermore, for example, replacement or repair of the cables and/or coolant lines or the corresponding connection or coupling points is facilitated. It is also possible to avoid contact of the coolant discharged at the coolant line interface portion with the cable by a delicate arrangement (for example, in view of typical installation positions), thereby improving electrical safety.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the connecting element and the electrical contact are designed for connecting an electrical cable to a high-voltage device and/or a high-voltage consumer of a motor vehicle. The high-voltage device, the high-voltage consumer or the high-voltage assembly can be, for example, a traction battery, an electric drive or a component of a vehicle charging system. In the sense of the present invention, a voltage range of, for example, between 50V and 1000V is to be understood as a high-voltage or high-voltage range. The connecting element according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously and advantageously here on the basis of the significant heat generation associated with high voltages and correspondingly high powers.

In principle, the connecting element according to the invention can be used in any type of electrical connection.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the first opening and the second opening of the housing are arranged on different sides of at least one of the electrical contacts in at least one direction or dimension. Hereby is achieved that the coolant flows completely past or over the electrical contacts in the respective direction or dimension, for example in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the respective electrical contact. Thus, the contact surface and/or the duration of time required for the coolant to flow past the respective electrical contact may be maximized. Thereby, the effectiveness and/or efficiency of heat dissipation from the respective electrical contacts may be improved.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the connecting element additionally has at least one cooling element, in particular arranged on the outside of the housing or on the feed-through. The cooling element may, for example, form or have one or more heat sinks and thus further increase the cooling power available in or on the connecting element for cooling the electrical contacts. In this case, it is possible for the additional cooling element to discharge the heat absorbed from the connecting element to the surroundings according to a passive operating principle or cooling principle. However, it is also possible to increase the surface around which the coolant flows or is impinged by arranging the cooling element on the passages, so that the heat transfer to the coolant can be improved.

The connecting device according to the invention for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle comprises a connecting element according to the invention. Furthermore, the connecting device comprises a coupling element corresponding to the connecting element, which coupling element is provided for the arrangement on the device side and has at least one inlet opening on the connecting element side and one outlet opening on the device side. Here, the inlet opening and the outlet opening of the coupling element (analogously to the first opening and the second opening of the connecting element) are likewise connected to one another by a feedthrough, wherein the feedthrough can also be traversed by the coolant. The inlet opening is arranged on the second opening of the connecting element in a defined contact position (in which the connecting element is connected to the coupling element) such that the passage of the connecting element and the passage of the coupling element can be flowed through by a continuous coolant flow.

In other words, the connecting element can be connected or coupled with the coupling element in order to establish an electrical connection of the cable with the electrical device. In the present contact position, the through-openings of the connecting element and the coupling element effectively form a single (at least in addition to the coupling or the like) continuous, correspondingly long through-opening which extends from the first opening of the connecting element up to the outlet opening of the coupling element. The outlet opening of the coupling element may form a connection or interface with a cooling circuit of the respective electrical device. The two-part or multi-part embodiment of the connecting device with the connecting element and the coupling element advantageously ensures that a tight, safe and reliable connection of both the electrical component and the component permeable to coolant is present or can be established in a simple manner. The connecting device can be configured, for example, as a plug connection or as a threaded connection between the connecting element and the coupling element.

The embodiments of the connecting element according to the invention which have been described so far and are described below and the corresponding advantages are each correspondingly applicable to the connecting device according to the invention and vice versa. For this reason, corresponding features and characteristics are not explicitly elucidated again for the connecting device according to the invention.

The corresponding fields of application of the connecting element according to the invention and of the connecting device according to the invention are not limited in any way to the use in cable harnesses for vehicles. The connecting element according to the invention and the connecting device according to the invention can, on the contrary, be used, for example, in fastening devices or installations or in other fields of application.

Further features of the invention emerge from the figures and the description of the figures. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description and those mentioned in the following description of the figures and/or shown only in the figures can be used not only in the respectively specified combinations but also in other combinations or alone.

Drawings

The invention will now be explained in detail by means of a preferred embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherein:

fig. 1 shows a schematic rear view of a connecting element according to an embodiment of the invention for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle; and is

Fig. 2 shows a cut-out side view of the connecting element from fig. 1 in a schematic representation.

Detailed Description

Identical or functionally identical elements are identified by the same reference numerals in fig. 1 and 2, respectively. To better illustrate the direction, an auxiliary line AA is drawn not only in fig. 1 but also in fig. 2.

A connecting element 1 for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle, which is shown in a schematic rear view in fig. 1, comprises a housing 2. Neither cables nor electrical devices are shown in the present case. The side of the connecting element 1 or of the housing 2 shown in fig. 1 is the cable side, so that the cable actually connected to the connecting element 1 protrudes here, for example, out of the plane of the drawing. For connecting a cable to the connecting element 1 or to connect a cable to the connecting element 1, the connecting element has a cable connection 3 in the present case. In or on the cable connection 3, for example, recesses, clips or the like, not shown here, can be provided for receiving, holding and/or fixing the cable or the individual lines of the cable. In the region of the cable connection 3, two electrical contacts 4, 5 of the connection element 1 are provided. When the connecting element 1 is used as intended, an electrical connection is established between the cable and the electrical device via the electrical contacts 4, 5.

Above the cable connection 3, the housing 2 has a first opening, referred to here as an inflow opening 6, in a region centered in the transverse direction. The inflow opening 6 forms the starting point of a passage 7 which is connected to the inflow opening 6 on the housing side and forms or forms a cavity through the housing 2. The cross section of the through-opening 7 may, for example, correspond to the cross section of the inflow opening 6, although this is not necessary for proper operation of the connecting element 1. In the present example, the cross section of both the inflow opening 6 and the through-opening 7 is round, but other shapes are also possible.

When the connecting element 1 is in operation or in use, current flows through the electrical contacts 4, 5, where heat is generated. Due to this heat generation, the electrical power which can be transported without damage via the electrical contacts 4, 5 or the connection element 1 can be limited. In order to be able to increase the power or current-carrying capacity of the electrical contacts 4, 5 and/or to be able to reduce the size of the electrical contacts 4, 5 and/or of the housing 2, provision is made for: the openings 7 can be traversed by a coolant for actively cooling the electrical contacts 4, 5. For this purpose, the electrical contacts 4, 5 are thermally coupled to the passages 7.

Fig. 2 shows the connecting element 1 from fig. 1 in a schematic and cut-away side view. It is clearly visible here that the passage 7 passes completely through the connecting element 1 or the housing 2 and for this purpose extends from the inflow opening 6 as far as the outflow opening 10. The outflow opening 10 is arranged on the device side of the housing 2 opposite the rear side of the housing 2 shown in fig. 1. The passages 7 are traversed in the present case by a coolant flow 8 for active cooling of the electrical contacts 4, 5. The flow direction of the coolant flow 8 is indicated by corresponding arrows and extends from the inflow opening 6 through the passages 7 past the electrical contacts 4, 5 to the outflow opening 10, where the coolant flow 8 leaves the connecting element 1.

The coolant flow 8 can be conducted, for example, via a corresponding coolant line, not shown here, or a corresponding coolant hose to the connecting element 1 and away from it. For this purpose, the connecting element 1 has corresponding

line connections

9, 11 which surround the inflow opening 6 and the outflow opening 10. For example, the respective coolant line can be pushed onto the

line connections

9, 11 in order to establish a secure and tight connection to the feed-through 7.

The passage 7 can extend past the electrical contacts 4, 5 in such a way that at least one wall of the passage 7 is present between the coolant and the electrical contacts 4, 5. Thereby, the electrical contacts 4, 5 may thus be electrically insulated from the coolant. Alternatively, however, the electrical contacts 4, 5 can also project into the through-opening 7 or form the wall of the through-opening at least in partial regions. In this case, the coolant can flow directly through the electrical contacts 4, 5.

Since in particular the inflow opening 6 and thus the line connection 9 assigned thereto are arranged at a distance from the cable connection 3, the respective coolant line and the cable can be advantageously guided flexibly and independently of one another. The line connections 9 can be rounded in order to achieve the best possible compatibility with known and conventional connection systems for coolant hoses. For connecting the coolant hoses to the

line connections

9, 11, for example, threaded connections, clamping elements or the like can be provided. Sealing elements, not shown here, such as rubber lips or rubber rings or the like, can also be provided on the

line connections

9, 11.

In principle, however, shapes, cross sections and dimensions or dimensional ratios different from those explicitly mentioned here are also possible for the

line connections

9, 11 and also for the

openings

6, 10 and the feedthroughs 7. In particular, the characteristic can be selected without acting on the cable guide or on the guide of the coolant hose. In particular, the size, cross section and/or orientation of the passages 7 can be determined depending on the installation space requirements of the connecting element 1 or the housing 2 and/or the size and/or arrangement of the electrical contacts 4, 5. In this case, flow-optimized shapes or arrangements of the openings 7 and the

openings

6, 10 can also be selected.

In order to further increase the heat that can be dissipated by the electrical contacts 4, 5, a cooling element, not shown here, can be provided on the connecting element 1. In order to optimize the heat dissipation, it can also be provided that the housing 2 is made entirely or partially of plastic or a particularly good heat-conducting material, such as aluminum.

For illustration and better classification, it can be said that the

openings

6, 10 and the passages 7 can have a diameter of, for example, 10mm to 20 mm. In principle, the connecting element 1 or the arrangement or configuration of the connecting element 1 in the illustrated and other embodiments is dimensionally expandable. The dimensions of the connecting element 1 and its components can therefore be adapted to the respective purpose of use and the respective requirements in very different fields of application.

Overall, the invention makes it possible to achieve electrical connections with increased current carrying capacity and/or with a smaller installation space requirement by means of smaller electrical contacts or overall smaller contact systems. In this case, it is advantageous if a cooling circuit which is already present for cooling the electrical device can be used together for cooling the electrical contacts. Furthermore, energy savings on the part of the device or on the part of the components can be advantageously achieved by improved cooling.

List of reference numerals

1. Connecting element

2. Shell body

3. Cable connector

4. 5 electric contact

6. Inflow opening

7. Piercing part

8. Coolant flow

9. 11 pipeline interface

10. Outflow opening

Claims

1. A connecting element (1) for electrically connecting an electrical cable to an electrical device of a motor vehicle, having a housing (2) in which at least two electrical contacts (4, 5) are at least partially accommodated and which has a passage (7) which extends from a first opening (6) of the housing (2) through the housing to a second opening (10) of the housing (2) and through which a coolant flow (8) can flow,

characterized in that the electrical contacts (4, 5) are thermally coupled to the passages (7) for active cooling by means of a coolant flow (8), wherein the first opening (6) of the housing (2) is designed as an interface (9) for a coolant line and is arranged at a distance from the housing-side cable connection (3) for a cable, such that the connection element (1) enables a separate connection of the coolant line and the cable to the connection element (1), and wherein the first opening (6) is arranged on the same side of the housing (2) as the cable connection (3).

2. The connecting element (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the electrical contacts (4, 5) is directly connected to the inner volume of the feedthrough (7) through which a coolant flow (8) can flow and can thereby flow directly.

3. The connecting element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the feed-through (7) is configured in the housing (2) so as to branch into a plurality of channels which in turn merge within the housing (2).

4. A connecting element (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that at least one channel of the plurality of channels extends between two respective side-by-side arranged electrical contacts (4, 5) of the connecting element (1).

5. Connecting element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting element (1) and the electrical contacts (4, 5) are designed for connecting an electrical cable with a high-voltage device and/or a high-voltage consumer of a motor vehicle.

6. The connecting element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first opening (6) and the second opening (10) of the housing (2) are arranged on different sides of at least one of the electrical contacts (4, 5) in at least one direction.

7. Connecting element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting element (1) additionally has at least one cooling element.

8. The connecting element (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the cooling element is arranged on the outside of the housing (2) or on the feed-through (7).

9. Connecting device for electrically connecting a cable to an electrical apparatus of a motor vehicle, having a connecting element (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and a coupling element corresponding to the connecting element, which coupling element is provided for an arrangement on the apparatus side and has at least one inlet opening on the connecting element side and one outlet opening on the apparatus side, which inlet and outlet openings are connected to one another by a feedthrough, wherein the inlet opening is provided on a second opening (10) of the connecting element (1) in a defined contact position connecting the connecting element (1) to the coupling element, so that the feedthrough (7) of the connecting element (1) and the feedthrough of the coupling element can be traversed by a continuous coolant flow (8).